


They don't know what you're doing (Babe, it must be art)

by bennettmp339



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Auctions, Bucky Barnes Bingo 2019, Don’t copy to another site, Lacy panties, Lingerie, M/M, MCU Kink Bingo, Sketchbooks, Steve is an artist, Stockings, auction houses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-22 22:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18536548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bennettmp339/pseuds/bennettmp339
Summary: A sketchbook, found in an attic in Brooklyn, reveals something interesting about Steve Rogers





	They don't know what you're doing (Babe, it must be art)

**Author's Note:**

> For the 2019 Bucky Barnes Bingo, square U1 (Kink: Lingerie), and 2019 MCU Kink Bingo, square I2 (Clothing: Stockings). 
> 
>  
> 
> Title is from [ "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," by U2](https://open.spotify.com/track/5TsHqbDKaSs4ECZX0045YS?si=RAdFAJulQbyxOjrHB_q8WA).  
> Bono, Clayton, Adam C., The Edge, and Mullen, Jr., Larry J. (1995). Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. [Recorded by U2]. On _Batman Forever (soundtrack)_. [Computer Disc]. Dublin, Ireland: Island Records.

Steve wasn’t embarrassed about the fact that he’d done what he called “blue” photoshoots back in the ‘30s, or that he used to draw "blue" cartoons. He’d mentioned them occasionally during interviews about what he did in the 30s and 40s, talking about how he survived after his mother died. Bucky had gone to work at the docks, but even him taking extra shifts wasn't enough for them to live on. With all of his medical issues pre-serum, Steve had trouble finding work at the factories or at the docks, and the "blue" drawings paid the best. 

Within the academic community, there was no consensus as to whether any of Steve’s "blue" drawings had survived. Some thought that perhaps he had used a pseudonym, or that, as he had been doing contract work, that the drawings had been unsigned. Steve said he’d been paid cash, and that he wasn’t sure if he was on any official payroll at the time or if he had been paid under the table. The same went for the blue photoshoots. 

With none of his drawings or photographs having been found, most of the surprise that _Captain America_ had once drawn "blue" cartons and posed for "blue" pictures blew over. It took a while, with Fox News bringing it back up several times in an attempt to cause a scandal, but soon most of America had forgotten about the "blue" drawings, the "blue" photographs. 

And then, one day, a sketchbook went to auction at an internationally respected auction house. It had been found in an attic in Brooklyn during renovations, and had been authenticated by several sources as the real deal. The house had been tenements, and was a boarding house for a while between the two World Wars. The most famous resident of the boarding house/tenement had been Steve Rogers, who’d lived there with James “Bucky” Barnes before becoming Captain America. The sketchbook was dated to the ‘30s and ‘40s, and most of the pictures were landscapes and other still life sketches, with the occasional portrait thrown in. The artist was clearly talented, and the sketches were compelling. A few were signed, but the signature was hard to make out and the artist hadn’t written his name or address anywhere in the book that the experts could find. 

As a historical artifact, the sketchbook was expected to go for a couple of thousand dollars at most, if not to the Smithsonian Institute outright. It would need some minor restoration work, but it would be a good addition to their American History or American Art museums. Commentators were saying that it was in good shape, and that the sketches were an interesting look at the ‘30s and ‘40s. Nothing of interest was expected to happen during the auction for the sketchbook, especially with the authenticated Monet and Degas on the auction block afterwards.

It was during the auction, one of the young women in black dresses showing off the landscapes and trying to drive the price up a few more hundred dollars - the bidding was lower than the expected $2,000 - when an eagle-eyed scout from the Smithsonian found one of the sketches. The first of almost 6 dozen of the same brunet man. 

The first sketch wasn’t very risqué, but the following ones were, showing the young man in various states of undress, from shirtsleeves all the way down to nothing but stockings, and positioned in everything from sprawled indolently on the couch to Sailor Jerry style pin-ups. Upon the discovery of the sketches, the Smithsonian expert and the FBI consultant were invited up on stage to discuss the new find and see if they could find a signature of the artist or the name of the model. 

With careful hands covered in white cotton gloves, the two experts showed off the sketches and discussed them. Most the images showed the young brunet man in stockings, twisted into various pin-up positions in nothing more than seamed stockings and lacy panties. The two experts quickly if conditionally authenticated the "blue" sketches as authentic to the rest of the portraits and landscapes in the book. With their hands holding the sketchbook so the audience could see the most risqué of the risqué drawings - the young man was reclined on his back, legs folded under him, in nothing but a pair of seamed stockings and a smile - the bidding quickly exceeded $10,000. When the FBI consultant expert authenticator reminded the attendees that the artist was male and drawing the same man in sexual positions in lingerie, the bidding quickly exceeded $20,000. 

Despite two experts holding the sketchbook in their hands, the identity of the model wasn’t revealed until the bidding approaching $50,000, when a historian with a speciality in World War II asked to approach the sketchbook, saying she thought she’d seen something to prove the model’s identity. A hush fell over the crowd when the auction house reminded the audience that she worked for Stark Industries and was charged with finding and returning Captain America’s property to him. She’d bought 10 Archival boxes of pre-WWI photographs at an auction two months ago, just to keep anyone from figuring out what she’d seen in the preview. 

She smiled as she took another pair of white cotton gloves, and didn’t blush as she flipped through the drawings of the attractive brunet in stockings, lipstick, and lacy panties. Finally, after several minutes, she nodded, and pointed to the curve of the man’s back and a specific part of his shoulders. She pulled her phone from her pocket, and poked around until she found the picture she was looking for. She used her back to bodily block the camera from seeing the picture she was comparing the sketch to. The camera, however, caught the look of complete and utter shock on the experts’ faces as they made the same conclusion she had about the identity of the brunet, drawn in stockings. The Smithsonian expert could be heard saying ‘holy shit’ and ‘how could I miss that?’ while FBI authenticator could be seen shaking his head with a bemused expression, before his jaw dropped and he flipped through the sketchbook with a fever not earlier seen. 

“Are you saying?” he asked. She nodded, eyes sparkling with mirth and chewing on her bottom lip. 

“That I am.” Taking the sketchbook from them, she walked over to the auctioneer, and took a deep breath. She extended the sketchbook, and said, pitching her voice to be caught by the microphone, “I posit that the model in stockings and lingerie is none-other than Sergeant James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, roommate of one Captain Steve Rogers. Who was, if you remember, an artist before he was selected to become Captain America.” 

The auctioneer turned to the two experts, who nodded, pointing at the Stark expert, who simply smiled mysteriously. He nodded, and upped the staring bid to $500,000. The bidding quickly skyrocketed again, quickly caping $5 million. Every bid the Stark expert matched and raised with a bored look. A tough half an hour later, the auctioneer declared her the winner, at almost $15 million. Her smile could not be called anything other than dangerous as she accepted a archival sleeve from one of the auctioneer's assistants, and grabbing her purse before she headed out. 

When the risqué drawings were discovered the local news showed up. Since her reveal that Sergeant Barnes with the model, the full press had shown up for an impromptu press conference, and she walked out of the auction house to meet them, saying that she’d planned on buying the sketchbook before they’d found the drawings of Sergeant Barnes in stockings, as the sketchbook had belonged to Captain Rogers, and that she’d held her peace on the identity of the man in stockings until he told her he was okay with it, along with an authorization from Stark to spend more than her budget for the fiscal year. It hadn’t been an image she’d shown the two experts, but texts from Captain Rogers himself, proving his former ownership of the sketchbook and Sergeant Barnes as the model in stockings. 

“Now, if you’d excuse me, I need to reunite Captain Rogers with a prized possession that he had to leave behind when he went off to basic training.” She stepped to the side, striding with determination to the car idling at the curb. Happy Hogan stepped out, leaning against the door when the press called her back. 

“Oh, no, I was not surprised to learn about the ‘blue’ sketches of Sergeant Barnes. Does no one remember how they posed in their photographs from the famed lingerie charity calendar?” With that parting shot, she slid into the back seat of the sedan, followed by Happy Hogan into the front seat, and she blew a kiss at the press as they drove away. 

Back at Stark Tower, Stark was laughing hysterically as Steve stared at the television in shock. Bucky was laughing outright, though he managed to pull himself together long enough to say that he was glad no one had found the self-portrait Steve had drawn, of them together, naked, in bed. Steve shook his head, and Stark laughed harder.


End file.
